Until a year ago, I was against Kindles. Didn’t like the idea of them, and wanted nothing to do with one. But that was until I was convinced to buy one once I saw it in person. I used to think that having a Kindle would be a waste, but it is the best purchase I have made in a long time.
I get it though, the feel of turning a page, the smell of a new book, and building your dream library – a Kindle doesn’t hold that same appeal. For me, a Kindle is an addition to my reading journey. I’m not looking to go completely paperless. However, buying charity shop books and getting a Kindle is one step closer to creating sustainable book-buying habits.
My Kindle is my little pride and joy; she has a nice case and a little sun and moon pop socket on the back of it. It goes with me everywhere, and now I can’t go anywhere without her.
For me, Kindles are super underrated, and I’m not here to convince you to buy one, but maybe just to consider it. Most avid readers love to always have a book on them wherever they go, so the compactness of a Kindle makes it perfect for transport, and you don’t even have to worry about damaging the edges of the page as it sits in your bag.
With that, it’s perfect for the holidays. When I go on holiday, I take around four books in my case and one in my hand luggage, just for options. But with a Kindle, I do still take a physical book, but it’s only one because my Kindle can store tens of thousands of books, so I’ll always have that variety. But I must side against Kindles to say that it does look cooler to read a physical book on holiday than to hold a rectangular device above your head. Reading on a sunbed does come with its challenges, especially if the sun is beaming down onto the page of a book, blinding you while you try to read with a Kindle that doesn’t exist.
The simple frustrations that most readers face are fixed with a Kindle. Ever tried to eat and read, holding your book open with your index finger and thumb, and still struggling (this might just be me because I have small hands)? Well, Kindles can just be propped up or held in one hand effortlessly; that way, your food doesn’t go cold, and you can read your book effectively. In the same way, when you’re reading in bed on your side and now have a hand cramp, a Kindle will solve that.
This does sound like Amazon is paying me to say this, but I do still read physical books as well, and I mean, the whole experience is undeniably better when it comes to reading. I’m much more engaged in a book when I am reading it physically, and I’m also more likely to give it a five-star rating because it holds that sense of value. Some of the books I have read on my Kindle I forget about because I don’t physically see them on my shelf.
Critically, buying books through Amazon means that they don’t appear on any physical shelves. For me and I think most readers, collecting books is such an important part of being a reader. I sometimes find myself buying books physically that I have read on my Kindle because they are too good to just not have them on my shelf. I want people to know I have read it and even lend it to people. The only real representation of all the books I’ve read is on Goodreads, not physically.
However, being a university student and constantly having to move means that I have a portable bookshelf with me, and when I move out at the end of the year, I don’t have to take as many books with me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do still wander into Arndale’s Waterstones all the time to buy new books, but I justify it by saying that I’m adding them to my university collection.
I feel like it happens to every reader when they buy a book, and it just sits on their TBR forever and will probably never even get read. Financially, although at first kindles are pricey, they come with their monetary savings from buying books for mostly less than £2, and then if I never read them, I don’t feel as guilty. Especially because I don’t see it sitting there on my bookshelf, staring back at me.
All credit is due to my brother however who decided to buy one, and then not even a day later I bought my own. For me, it’s just the ease and efficiency of it—never needing a booklight, how easy it is to transport, and the mystery of what I am reading on public transport. I’m not saying you should definitely buy one, but I don’t think it’s a bad option, especially if you read a lot.
